Switch.



J. s. LOGKARD.

SWITCH.

APPLIUATION FILED JAILIZ, 1912. RENEWED DBO. 23, 1912. 1,083,751.Patented Jan.6,1914.

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SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED JAN.12,1912. RENEWED DBO. 23,1912.

Patented J an. 6, 1914.

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JAMES S. LOGKARD, 0F SPARTANBURG, SOUTH- CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF0NE-FOURTH TO ELI CHAPMAN AND R. M. ALEXANDER.

SWiTCI-L Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

Application filed January 12, 1912; Serial No. 670,870. Renewed December23, 1912. Serial No. 738,361.-

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,JAMEs S. LooKAnD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Spartanburg, in the county of Spartanburg and State of SouthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in railway switchesand more especially to operating mechanisms thereof and the object of myinvention is to improve the construction and increase the efficiency ofdevices of the above described character.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch operatingmechanism which will be automatically actuated to throw the switch uponthe approach of a train and which will afterward return the switch toits original position, the operating mechanism being actuated by meansof a suitable attachment carried by the train and operable by theengineer or motorman.

lVit-h these and other objects in View, my invention will be more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show' apreferred embodiment of my device and then specifically pointed out inthe claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my switch operatingmechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a section onthe line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, in which similar referencenumerals designate corresponding parts throughout, 10 designates therails of the main track which as shown, are supported upon a pluralityof ties 11 in the customary manner and 12 designates the rails of theswitch track, said rails having switch points 13 pivotally connected asat 14 to swing in and out of engagement with the main line rails.

Positioned between adjacent ties and beneath the free ends of the switchpoints is a casing 15 in which the switch mechanism proper is located.This mechanism consists of a pair of spaced blocks 16 and 17 each ofwhich is provided with a centrally located longitudinally extendingbore. These blocks are slidably mounted within the casing and the freeends of the switch points are secured to their upper faces by means ofclamps 18 and bolts 19, as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Positioned centrally within the casing and firmly secured to the bottomthereof is a metallic block 20 provided with a longitudinally extending,internally threaded bore in alinement with the bores of the blocks 16and 17 and a shaft 21 passes through the bores of the blocks 16 and 17and of the block 20 and is provided intermediate its length with a wormgear 22 which engages with the threads of the block 20 whereby anyrotation of the shaft will cause the same to move longitudinally throughthe block 20. The blocks 16 and 17 are secured against longitudinalmovement upon the shaft 21 by means of collars 23 secured to the shaftone upon each side of each of the blocks. Keyed upon the ends of theshaft 21 are sprocket wheels 24 and 25.

Positioned between adjacent ties of the main line and spaced from theswitch structure previously described is a second casing 26, providedwith suitable bearings 27 in which is journaled a shaft 28 upon one endof which is keyed a fly wheel 29 and upon the other end of which iskeyed a sprocket wheel 80. Keyed upon this shaft 28 and intermediate thelength thereof is a spur gear 3 1 which extends above the level of theroad bed in position to be engaged by a suitable actuating devicecarried by the train. Coacting between the sprocket wheels 25 and 30 isa sprocket chain 32 by means of which any rotation of the shaft 28 istransmitted to the shaft 21 causing the latter to swing the switchpoints into engagement with the rails of the main line.

Positioned between adjacent ties of the switch line and spaced from theswitch points thereof is a casing 33 and journaled in this casing are apair of parallel shafts 34L and 35. A spur gear 36 is keyed upon theshaft 34: and meshes with a spur gear'37 keyed upon a shaft 85. One endof the shaft 34: is extended beyond its bearing and keyed upon thisextended end is a fly wheel 38, while one end of the shaft 35 is alsoextended beyond its bearing and keyed upon this extended end is asprocket wheel 39 and coacting between this sprocket wheel and thesprocket wheel 24 is a sprocket chain 40.

In operation, the operating attachment of a train passing along the mainline toward the switch, may be actuated to engage the spur gear 31causing the shaft 21 to rotate in such a manner as to move the switchpoints into engagement with the main line rails, thus causing the trainto pass over the switch points onto the branch line. The trainattachment is then again operated to engage with the spur gear 36 which,because of the intermediate gear 37, will counter-rotate the shaft 21 toswing the switch point back to original position. As will be readilyseena train passing along the branch line toward the switch will firstoperate the gear 36 to close the switch, and will then operate the gear31 to open the same.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have providedan extremely simple and eflicient form of switch operating mechanism andone which may be readily and inexpensively installed.

It will of course be understood that minor changes in details ofconstruction may be made without in the slightest degree departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. In an automatic switch throwing device for connectinga main track and a branch track, the combination with swingingly mountedswitch points, of blocks upon which the free ends of said points aresecured, a shaft extending through said blocks, means whereby therotation of said shaft will reciprocate said blocks, and means operableby the passage of a train to rotate said shaft.

2. In an automatic switch throwing device for connecting a main trackand a branch track, the combination with movable switch points, of acasing positioned beneath said points, a block secured within saidcasing and provided with a longitudinally extending internally threadedbore, additional blocks slidable in said casing and provided withlongitudinal bores, the free ends of the switch points being secured tosaid latter blocks, a worm shaft threaded in the bore of the first blockand having its ends extended through the bores of the latter blocks andsecured against longitudinal movement therethrough, and means operableby the passage of a train for rotating said shaft.

3. The combination with a movable switch point, of a shaft mounted toslide and rotate and connected to the point, a block, a worm on theshaft and engaging the block, said block being fixed, a gear adjacentthe point, car supported means movable into engagement with the gear torotate the same, and means for transmitting motion from the gear to theshaft.

4. The combination with the rails of a track and a movable switch point,of a shaft in the presence of two witnesses.

J AMES S. LOOKARD. Witnesses Rosana" J. GAULT, J. P. DARDEN, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. C.

